Partakers Of Divine Nature

Partakers of Divine Nature Central Verse: “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:3–4, KJV 1900) Let your heart break for the longing it has for God, for the living God. The life of Christ has shown what humanity can do by being partaker of the divine nature. All that Christ received from God we too may have. Then ask and receive. With the persevering faith of Jacob, with the unyielding persistence of Elijah, claim for yourself all that God has promised. {COL 149.2}

1 Fallen Nature / Carnal Nature of Man “And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.” (John 3:19–20, KJV 1900) “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.” (Romans 8:6–7, KJV 1900) The carnal mind hates light - it's deeds are evil Carnal Nature is enmity against God - It is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be!

2 How was Christ Different from any other son of Adam? “Then said I, Lo, I come: In the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: Yea, thy law is within my heart.” (Psalm 40:7–8, KJV 1900) “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: Therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee With the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Psalm 45:7, KJV 1900) Ans: By Birth Christ loved righteousness and hated iniquity. - Lo, I come - birth, I delight to do Thy will - So By birth Christ loved the law of God, which is the exact opposite of the nature with which we are born!

3 Christ's Human Nature - Was it unfallen or fallen? "The nature of God, whose law had been transgressed, and the nature of Adam, the transgressor, meet in Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of man..." {17MR 338.1} “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made

like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:14–17, KJV 1900) It would have been an almost infinite humiliation for the Son of God to take man’s nature, even when Adam stood in his innocence in Eden. But Jesus accepted humanity when the race had been weakened by four thousand years of sin. Like every child of Adam He accepted the results of the working of the great law of heredity. What these results were is shown in the history of His earthly ancestors. He came with such a heredity to share our sorrows and temptations, and to give us the example of a sinless life. 8 {CSA 6.7} "The humanity of the Son of God is everything to us. It is the golden chain that binds our souls to Christ, and through Christ to God. This is to be our study. Christ was a real man; He gave proof of His humility in becoming a man. Yet He was God in the flesh. When we approach this subject, we would do well to heed the words spoken by Christ to Moses at the burning bush, "Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground" (Exodus 3:5). We should come to this study with the humility of a learner, with a contrite heart. And the study of the incarnation of Christ is a fruitful field, which will repay the searcher who digs deep for hidden truth." {1SM 244.1} "He became possessed of two natures, the divine and the human. And because of this, He was fully able to accomplish for the human race their complete redemption, and their restoration to the privileges of the higher life." (Our Father Cares, p. 270.3).

It is clear that Christ had fallen human nature! Paul makes it extremely clear that Jesus took on Himself the seed of Abraham - So there is no question of whether He possessed the nature of Adam before fall (Adam lived at least 1500 years before Abraham)

4 If Christ had fallen Human Nature, then why did He love righteousness and hate iniquity? The Bible is clear that the carnal mind i.e. the fallen human nature loves iniquity and hates righteousness, but Christ loved Righteousness and hated iniquity. Why was this so? “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30, KJV 1900) Our Saviour Himself, bearing the test for humanity, acknowledged that of Himself He could do nothing. We must also learn that there is no strength in humanity alone. Man becomes efficient only by becoming a partaker of the divine nature. {CC 83.5} Christ's humanity was united with divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character. {ST, August 23, 1905 par. 6} And how this is accomplished, Christ has shown us. By what means did He overcome in the conflict with Satan?--By the Word of God. Only by the Word could He resist temptation. "It is written," He said. And unto us are given "exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." Every promise in God's Word is ours. "By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" are we to live. When assailed by temptation, look not to circumstances or to the weakness of self, but to the power of the Word. All its strength is yours. "Thy

word," says the psalmist, "have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." "By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer." {ST, August 23, 1905 par. 7} Jesus loved righteousness and hated iniquity because of His Divine Nature and not because of his human nature! By the connection of the human nature with the Divine Nature. This is accomplished by the Word of God, as described by Peter in 2 Peter 1:3,4

5 What does it mean to be partakers of Divine Nature? What possibilities are opened up to the youth who lay hold of the divine assurances of God's word! Scarcely can the human mind comprehend what is the breadth and depth and height of the spiritual attainments that can be reached by becoming partakers of the divine nature. The human agent who yields obedience to God, who becomes a partaker of the divine nature, finds pleasure in keeping the commandments of God; for he is one with God; he holds as vital a relation with God as does the Son to the Father. He understands the oneness that Christ prayed might exist between the Father and the Son. Jesus prayed: "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." Mrs. E. G. White. {YI, October 24, 1895 par. 4} The heavenly intelligences will work with the human agent who seeks with determined faith that perfection of character which will reach out to perfection in action. To everyone engaged in this work Christ says, I am at your right hand to help you. {COL 332.4} As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings. {COL 333.1} As we partake of the divine nature, hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are cut away from the character, and we are made a living power for good. Ever learning of the divine Teacher, daily partaking of his nature, we co-operate with God in overcoming Satan's temptations. God works, and man works, that man may be one with Christ as Christ is one with God. Then we sit together with Christ in heavenly places. The mind rests with peace and assurance in Jesus. RH Ap 24, 1900 par7 To gain the higher education means to become a partaker of the divine nature. It means to copy the life and character of Christ so that we shall stand on vantage ground as we fight the battles of life. It means to gain daily victories over sin. As we seek for this education, angels of God are our companions; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord lifts up a standard for us against him. {CT 388.4} It means we become one with God - a mysterious unity, that which exists between the Father and the Son, would exist between us and God!

6 How is this accomplished? The Enabling Grace of God.--In His Word God reveals what He can do for human beings. He molds and fashions after the divine similitude the characters of those who will wear His yoke. Through His grace they are made partakers of the divine nature, and are thus enabled to overcome the corruption that is in the world through lust. It is God who gives us power to overcome. Those who hear His voice and obey His commandments are enabled to form righteous characters. Those who disregard His expressed commands will form characters like the propensities that they indulge (Letter 44, 1903). {7BC 943.3}

And how this is accomplished, Christ has shown us. By what means did He overcome in the conflict with Satan?--By the Word of God. Only by the Word could He resist temptation. "It is written," He said. And unto us are given "exceeding great and precious promises, that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." Every promise in God's Word is ours. "By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" are we to live. When assailed by temptation, look not to circumstances or to the weakness of self, but to the power of the Word. All its strength is yours. "Thy word," says the psalmist, "have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." "By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer." {ST, August 23, 1905 par. 7} “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Peter 1:3–4, KJV 1900) This is accomplished by the Grace of God when through Faith we accept and claim the promises of God

7 By being partakers of Divine Nature, do we become Gods? No, we do not become Gods. “For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5, KJV 1900) - Godhood was promised to man only by Satan "Through being partakers of the divine nature we may stand pure and holy and undefiled. The Godhead was not made human, and the human was not deified by the blending together of the two natures. Christ did not possess the same sinful, corrupt, fallen disloyalty we possess, for then He could not be a perfect offering." (Manuscript 94, 1893 ; Manuscript Releases 6:110-112). "The two expressions human and divine were, in Christ, closely and inseparably one, and yet they had a distinct individuality." {ST, May 10, 1899 par. 11} The incarnation of Christ is the mystery of all mysteries. Christ was one with the Father, yet … He was willing to step down from the exaltation of one who was equal with God. That He might accomplish His purpose of love for the fallen race, He became bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh. How wide is the contrast between the divinity of Christ and the helpless infant in Bethlehem’s manger! How can we span the distance between the mighty God and a helpless child? And yet the Creator of worlds, He in whom was the fullness of the Godhead bodily, was manifest in the helpless babe in the manger. Far higher than any of the angels, equal with the Father in dignity and glory, and yet wearing the garb of humanity! Divinity and humanity were mysteriously combined, and man and God became one. The Faith I Live By (p. 48). Christ's humanity was united with divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character. {ST, August 23, 1905 par. 6}

There is a difference between partaking and possessing. Christ possessed Divinity, we partake of Christ's Divinity. By partaking, it means Christ shares His divinity with us. This happens when by Faith Christ dwells in us. At no point in time, do we own the Divine Nature. When we commit sin, Christ does not dwell in us and we cease to partake of His Divine Nature. Thus the Divine Nature does not become ours, rather Christ's Divinity dwells in us through the person of the Holy Spirit. The Divinity is always Christ's, He shares it with us.

8 An Illustration “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:1–5, KJV 1900) “And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;” (Romans 11:17, KJV 1900) We, by nature are wild olive branches - if we bear fruit at all, it would be wild olives but by being grafted into the tree, we now bear the good olives. In Nature, grafting a red rose branch into a white rose plant would result in white and red roses blooming. The respective branch would have the respective coloured roses in them. Unlike this, by being attached to the True Vine, we bear the fruit of the Spirit - which is against nature. Continuing the previous example, this situation is similar to the red rose branch (scion) which was grafted into the white rose plant (root stock) bearing white roses. This is impossible because the red branch still has the same genetic material of the red rose plant from which it was cut. This is the reason why many human grafts (organ exchange) fail resulting in graft rejection (due to genetic mismatch). For the grafted branch to bear the original fruit, the nature of the original plant (the genetic material / DNA) must replace the nature of the grafted plant - in other words the original plant must completely grow into and replace the grafted plant, only then the graft will produce the fruit of the original plant. This is what happens when we partake of Christ's Divinity - His Divine Nature takes control and bears fruit of Divine origin. Our human nature has nothing to do with this process. If it becomes involved, then the nature of the fruit would not be Divine. The only thing human nature has to do is to allow the Divine nature to subdue it. In other words, the Divine Nature should possess us and should work itself out through us. It is voluntary possession as opposed to forced possession. We can understand it a little more if we consider what happens in demonic possession: In the Saviour’s presence he was roused to long for freedom, but the demon resisted the power of Christ. When the man tried to appeal to Jesus for help, the evil spirit put words into his mouth, and he cried out in an agony of fear. The demoniac partially comprehended that he was in the presence of One who could set him free; but when he tried to come within reach of that mighty hand, another’s will held him, another’s words found utterance through him.

The conflict between the power of Satan and his own desire for freedom was terrible. It seemed that the tortured man must lose his life in the struggle with the foe that had been the ruin of his manhood White, E. G. (1905). The Ministry of Healing (pp. 91–92). Pacific Press Publishing Association. There were two wills within this man - His own will and the will of the demon which possessed him. And there was conflict between the two wills - finally the demon forcefully assumed control of the body. In those who are partakers of Divine Nature, similarly two natures exist - the carnal which tries to go its way and the Divine which desires to obey God. Unlike the enemy, God does not force. If Divine Nature has to bear sway, the carnal nature has to be voluntarily surrendered and submitted against its desires.

9 Supreme Example of Christ: “I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.” (John 5:30, KJV 1900) Our Saviour Himself, bearing the test for humanity, acknowledged that of Himself He could do nothing. We must also learn that there is no strength in humanity alone. Man becomes efficient only by becoming a partaker of the divine nature. {CC 83.5} Jesus repelled the charge of blasphemy. My authority, He said, for doing the work of which you accuse Me, is that I am the Son of God, one with Him in nature, in will, and in purpose. In all His works of creation and providence, I co-operate with God. "The Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do." The priests and rabbis were taking the Son of God to task for the very work He had been sent into the world to do. By their sins they had separated themselves from God, and in their pride were moving independently of Him. They felt sufficient in themselves for all things, and realized no need of a higher wisdom to direct their acts. But the Son of God was surrendered to the Father's will, and dependent upon His power. So utterly was Christ emptied of self that He made no plans for Himself. He accepted God's plans for Him, and day by day the Father unfolded His plans. So should we depend upon God, that our lives may be the simple outworking of His will. {DA 208.2} Jesus made the supreme surrender of His will at Gethsemane: “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” (Matthew 26:39, KJV 1900) Turning away, Jesus sought again His retreat, and fell prostrate, overcome by the horror of a great darkness. The humanity of the Son of God trembled in that trying hour. He prayed not now for His disciples that their faith might not fail, but for His own tempted, agonized soul. The awful moment had come—that moment which was to decide the destiny of the world. The fate of humanity trembled in the balance. Christ might even now refuse to drink the cup apportioned to guilty man. It was not yet too late. He might wipe the bloody sweat from His brow, and leave man to perish in his iniquity. He might say, Let the transgressor receive the penalty of his sin, and I will go back to My Father. Will the Son of God drink the bitter cup of humiliation and agony? Will the innocent suffer the consequences of the curse of sin, to save the guilty? The words fall tremblingly from the pale lips of Jesus, “O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.” Three times has He uttered that prayer. Three times has humanity shrunk from the last, crowning sacrifice. But now the history of the human race comes up before the world’s Redeemer. He sees that the

transgressors of the law, if left to themselves, must perish. He sees the helplessness of man. He sees the power of sin. The woes and lamentations of a doomed world rise before Him. He beholds its impending fate, and His decision is made. He will save man at any cost to Himself. He accepts His baptism of blood, that through Him perishing millions may gain everlasting life. He has left the courts of heaven, where all is purity, happiness, and glory, to save the one lost sheep, the one world that has fallen by transgression. And He will not turn from His mission. He will become the propitiation of a race that has willed to sin. His prayer now breathes only submission: “If this cup may not pass away from Me, except I drink it, Thy will be done.” White, E. G. (1898). The Desire of Ages (Vol. 3, pp. 690–693). Pacific Press Publishing Association. This struggle of Jesus was not only about Christ becoming our sacrifice but it the supreme case of the carnal nature struggling against the Divine Nature. The humanity of Christ trembled in that Hour - for what was required of it was to cease to exist . By drinking the cup, the humanity of Christ would perish - Something against which any human would instinctly rebel, even if it is the case of first death. But on the Cross, Christ was to take the second death - and that without any assurance of resurrection. But here, Christ once again submitted - showing that the will of man when submitting to God would become omnipotent - overriding the most basic instincts and desires of the carnal nature (the desire to survive). By this act of Christ, it was proved beyond all doubt that man can completely obey the Law of God, even if it means that he had to die.

10 The Role of Will The heavenly intelligences will work with the human agent who seeks with determined faith that perfection of character which will reach out to perfection in action. To everyone engaged in this work Christ says, I am at your right hand to help you. {COL 332.4} As the will of man co-operates with the will of God, it becomes omnipotent. Whatever is to be done at His command may be accomplished in His strength. All His biddings are enablings. {COL 333.1} Do not think you can cease your efforts or vigilance for a moment; you cannot. Study God's word diligently, that you may not be ignorant of Satan's devices, and that you may learn the way of salvation more perfectly. Your will must be submerged in God's will. Seek not your own pleasure, but that of those around you; and in so doing you cannot but be happy. Come to Jesus with all your needs and wants, and in simple confidence crave His blessing. Trust in God, and seek to move from principle, strengthened and ennobled by high resolves and a determination of purpose found only in God. {2T 313.1} Every child should understand the true force of the will. He should be led to see how great is the responsibility involved in this gift. The will is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or choice. Every human being possessed of reason has power to choose the right. In every experience of life, God's word to us is, "Choose you this day whom ye will serve." Joshua 24:15. Everyone may place his will on the side of the will of God, may choose to obey Him, and by thus linking himself with divine agencies, he may stand where nothing can force him to do evil. In every youth, every child, lies the power, by the help of God, to form a character of integrity and to live a life of usefulness. {Ed 289.1} The will is the agent by which this surrender and suppression of our human nature is accomplished. It is by this that we accept the control of God i.e. the Divine Nature. As long as we actively and voluntarily surrender ourselves to God, we would be controlled by the Will of God. But God would never force our will even once. We must trust Him and submit. Thus the Divine Nature would possess and overrule our human nature. Paul puts this all very beautifully in this verse:

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20, KJV 1900) He says, it is not I who live anymore - not my will which rules in me, but Christ's will. Christ lives in me and rules in me. This is the change brought about by the new birth. We become Christ's and our life becomes hid with Christ in God. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:1–4, KJV 1900)